mjack421 Reviews

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

The Purge: Anarchy is not flawless, but a clear improvement over the first

[7/10 · 20 July 2014]

2013′s The Purge was a film with a lot of potential, armed with an intriguing premise and relative star power in Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. Unfortunately, that potential went untapped in many areas, mainly due to terrible characters/pitiful acting from all involved (save Headey, Hawke, and the main baddie), and a misstep in marketing that made the film look like a predominant horror, but was actually more of a science fiction thriller with slight horror tinges. Still, it made a ton of money off a 3 million budget, and a sequel was immediately green-lit. So, does The Purge: Anarchy rewrite all of the fails of the first? Not exactly, but it is much better in comparison.

The same premise found in the original is found here, and to some, there is no accepting the "fact" that this mayhem somehow makes the world a better place. At this point in time, this fact is what the franchise is built upon, and if you are unable to suspend disbelief, save your time and watch something else. Part of the reason why the first failed, in my opinion, had nothing to do with the premise. Instead, the failure was a direct result of funneling its juicy mythology into nothing more than a home invasion setting. Luckily, Anarchy avoids this mistake by taking to the streets.

With the change to an outdoor setting, we finally get a feel as to how the Purge may play out for those unlucky enough to find shelter. Immediately, this makes the event more intriguing and more frightful, because it is ever-changing, compared to a static setting. The movie is definitely not a horror, but more tension is present here as opposed to the first, simply due to the shift in surroundings. This truly feels like an unique event.

The story at the core of The Purge: Anarchy is one of survival in the face of an extremely undesirable situation, but there are a few societal issues it touches upon, some more heavy handed than others. Class warfare, government secrecy, nonviolence, vigilantism, and more are clearly referenced here. It can get tired in points, only because it has been seen before, but it isn't a huge deterrent to the film. But, there are some missed opportunities within the story that could have solidified this as a compelling piece of science fiction thriller.

There is a huge resistance, led by a man named Carmelo (Michael K. Williams), who evokes some of Malcolm X mixed with a bit of Jim Jones. He and his organization initially look to be a sizable part of the happenings in the film, but end up just coming and going, and it is a damn shame. What is also sort of disappointing is the (slight SPOILERS) lack of anarchy. For one night, The Purge would appear to "level" the playing field, so to speak. Instead, it is more of the same, which is probably the point the movie is trying to make, but I can't help but wish that it went another direction (END SPOILERS).

Though the movie follows five characters, the singular one that makes the movie worth viewing is Frank Grillo's. Leo is a man that is driven by revenge, and it would have been really easy to make him an unlikable character with no redeeming qualities. Thankfully, Grillo plays the character essentially from a chaotic good alignment, and unequivocally nails the uneasiness his character has during the Purge, while simultaneously realizing that the only path to vengeance is dependent on eliminating his target. Additionally, he brings a real physicality and grit to the role that meshes perfectly with the urban locale. There have been better performances this year in cinema, but Grillo's deserves recognition.

The rest of the cast? Well, they are more of a mixed bag, ranging from OK to sub-par. Generally, the females fall in the former category, not truly able to add any substance of note aside from being scared or snapping back verbally. They are not bad performances, but not ones that you will remember either. One that will be remembered for all of the wrong reasons is the man who plays Shane (Zach Gilford). Shane for the bulk of the movie comes off as an aloof jerk and smart-ass with no real motivation as to why. Definitely a misstep by the writer, but the actor does himself no favors as well. The movie does attempt to redeem his character, but it is too little too late.

Anarchy is primarily written and directed once again by James DeMonaco, who manages to effectively flesh out the world and the Purge itself. Everything is just more tighter in this installment, from pacing to back story. Not to be forgotten about are the surprisingly solid action set pieces. Whether hand to hand or firearm based, the scenes are filmed with great precision and sound just like they should, all while not being overly gratuitous.

Its premise may always be cooler than its end result, but it is clear that The Purge: Anarchy really is a step above its predecessor. mainly because it finally carves out its own identity. So enjoy your right to purge, it's more memorable this time around.

Brick Mansions (2014)

A bad yet still enjoyable action flick in Paul Walker's final film.

[6/10 · 29 April 2014]

Dystopian Detroit. Criminal exploits. No name thugs. Guns and drugs. These are probably words, phrases, and tags seen before in other movies, and apt descriptors of Brick Mansions. The movie is a remake of 2004′s french title District B13 and stars the late Paul Walker as police officer Damien Collier. For about a year, Damien has been undercover looking to take down Tremaine (RZA), a kingpin who also killed Damien's father while he was in the line of duty.

Tremaine and crew reside in Brick Mansions, a place so dangerous they built a wall around it to protect the rest of the city. Brick Mansions, once a place of great prosperity, is now a hellhole no man or woman should venture into.

To take down Tremaine though, Damien will need help. Lino Dupree is an in and out con who isn't really a bad guy, but more of a victim of circumstance. As a resident, he knows Brick Mansions like the back of his hand. For Lino, it becomes personal when his girlfriend is taken hostage by Tremaine. To save Detroit and exact revenge, the reluctant duo must come together for a common cause.

Brick Mansions is not going to blow anyone away, which should not be appalling looking at the trailers. It really does possess a straight to home media vibe, from the cast to the direction. But you know what? I did not think it was completely terrible and dare I say I was still kind of entertained, all because I knew what I was getting into. In no way does this absolve the film's problems, and it was not worth 11 dollars, but I have felt much worse spending my hard earned cash on other cinema films.

Let's get right down to the acting, specifically Paul Walker's in his last full role. It is not controversial to call Mr. Walker an average actor, and many of the roles and movies he starred in were never that acclaimed. He knew his limitations, and there is no fault in that. One thing he often had in most roles though was screen presence and silent charisma, which is evident here. It may sound politically correct, but he really is the best thing about Brick Mansions. Likable, endearing, and just a good guy to pull for.

As for the rest of the acting, it is downright abysmal. Maybe a quarter of this is due to the dreadful dialogue, which falls into the typical hard sounding thug talk that is supposed to be realistic and fear- invoking, but comes off as dated and hilarious. David Belle, one of the founders of Parkour, brings amazing physical feats to the silver screen, but his acting chops are nonexistent. To add insult to injury, he clearly struggles with the English language which ends up resulting in horribly dubbed dialogue.

Still, he is not the worst actor in this movie. That title indisputably belongs to RZA. His Tremaine is supposed to be menacing and unflinching, but time and time again he brings the same facial expression to the character, and the dialogue delivered by him may be the worst heard all year. He has no thespian talent, plain and simple, and it is time that Hollywood stop giving this man so many chances. Honestly, there are worse actors present, especially RZA's main henchman who is just as offensive, but none have the billing that RZA does in this.

The plot itself is nothing to write home about, and is somewhat absurd and slightly predictable. Just take it for what it is. There are times late when the movie makes thinly veiled allusions to present day Detroit and the Occupy Wall Street movement, but it basically is a popcorn movie existing to showcase guns, stunts, and fisticuffs. The only big issue had is that everything wraps up too nicely given that the movie was a full on war moments before. As a whole, it is nothing that hasn't been done or seen previously (and better at that), but at least it only last 90 minutes.

There really are some well done set pieces from time to time. Parkour may be a passing fad now, but when done right, it is still a treat to witness, and David Belle moves effortlessly between chasms and rooftops seamlessly. Paul Walker provides more hand to hand and firearm combat, and he looks right at home in this element. Problem is, director Camille Delamarre (Taken 2, Transporter 3, Columbiana) uses terrible framing and janky editing during a lot of these scenes. It is quite sad, as Belle and Walker are clearly doing some good things. For some asinine reason though, this man insists that wobbly framing, needless zooms and archaic Matrix-like slow motion is needed. Not all looked bad, but a more consistent steady hand could have worked wonders.

Brick Mansions is unimpressive, but crazy to say, also enjoyable. Heavily flawed, but entertaining (in a bad way half of the time) and fast paced enough to check out through rental or Netflix. Non action fans should avoid at all costs. With tempered expectations though, Walker fans and action fans may find enough here for mild satisfaction. A perfect film to throw on in the background and not think too much.

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